For More Information Contact the Public
Information Office:Jon Zlock
Kathryn Forsyth, Director
609-292-1126

For Release: October 27, 2006

Students from Across the State Shine at Kid Tech Day

Eleven teams of students from schools statewide spent Friday morning and early afternoon demonstrating their technological prowess during the Department of Education’s Kid Tech Day.

Kid Tech Day is an annual event in its second year that focuses on educational technology programs that help students prepare for a 21st century global economy. Students showcased several different programs and ideas today.

“We’re impressed that these students are so well-versed in technology,” said Commissioner of Education Lucille E. Davy. “We continue to focus on making sure all students are ready to enter a global economy when they finish school, and these students showed us they are well on their way to doing just that.”

For example, fifth-grade science students in Hackensack showed how they use NASA technology in their studies. Montgomery eighth-graders discussed how they created a Web site to teach fifth-grade peers about Internet safety. And fourth-graders from Oxford showed how they are "blogging" to become better writers.

Fifty student presenters and 24 teacher presenters participated in today’s program, which took place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the department’s first-floor conference room. The following is a list of schools and a brief description of their programs.

BedminsterTownshipSchool District - BedminsterSchool
Time 100 Project: Bedminster School students are improving their oral presentation and writing skills by using digital videos with their PowerPoint presentations.

Hackensack Public Schools - FiveSixSchool
NASA Space Exploration: Fifth grade science students at Five Six School are incorporating NASA resources and activities into their studies.

Jersey City Public Schools - DickinsonHigh School
Harmonic Frequency Institute: Dickinson High School high school students are using inexpensive virtual music studio software and computers to create original music compositions.

Long Branch Public Schools - AmerigoA.AnastasiaSchool
Mastering Mathematics with Technology: Amerigo A. Anastasia School third-grade students are increasing their Math Skills Inventory grades by 38 percent using technology tools.

MontgomeryTownshipSchool District - MontgomeryUpperMiddle School
Internet Safety Web Site: Montgomery eighth-grade students are increasing school Internet Safety practices by creating Web sites that provide instructions on how to use the Internet safely for their fifth grade "clients."

OxfordTownshipSchool District - OxfordCentralSchool
BLOG-RIFIC!: Oxford third-, fourth- and fifth-graders are "blogging" to help improve their writing skills and test scores.

PembertonTownship Board of Education - AlexanderDenboElementary School
STAR Writers: Fourth-graders at Alexander School are creating and publishing magazines and e-zines as part of their STAR-W (Students Using Technology to Achieve Reading - Writing) grant.

SussexCountyTechnicalSchool
Improving Language Skills Through Technology: Sussex County Technical School students are using computers, graphics and speech recognition software to improve their understanding of biology, as well as their writing skills.

Trenton Public Schools - Daylight/Twilight High School
Star Techs Technology Internship: Trenton Daylight/Twilight High School students sharpen their technology and career development skills interning as Technology Assistants in schools while gaining the internationally-recognized International Computer Driver's License Certification (ICDL).

VinelandSchool District - Cunningham/Petway Schools
Graphing Through the Grades: Vineland fourth-grade students helped increase their mathematics scores by 26 percent through the "Graphing Through the Grades" project.

Wallington Public Schools - WallingtonHigh School
Project L.E.A.R.N. (Language Education and Resource Network): Wallington High School students created Web sites focusing on Hispanic Language and Culture.

For more information, please contact the Department of Education Public Information Office at (609) 292-1126.